Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-04-28
FICTION AND HISTORY.
People Who Tell . Story So Often That
They Finally Como TO Believe II.

People Who Tell q Story So Often That
They Finally Come to Believe IL.
The late Colonel Scott of the War
Records Office, often COMPOUNDED many
a story-teller. 1t was he who had the
documents at his elbow to furnish the
exact truth in regard to every battle
and campaign. and every order or re-
port in regard to them. To him went
a host of people who wanted light on
the war. A few weeks before his death
Colonel Scott said: There are innum-
cradle calls on me from officers on both
sides for exact information about
various movements and engagements.
Most ofthem deal with personal affairs.
Some fellow who led a scout wa nts to
hunt up a report where his name is
mentioned. A Major General is not
often any more sure Of facts
twenty-five years old than q
private, and a dispute with a brother
officer sends both here for the rec
ord. 1t not infrequently happens that
l unwittingly deal some of my best
friends cruel blows. A Western Sem
ator came here a year or so ago and
got documents from me that made Ad-
miral Porter ridiculously imaginative,
where every body supposed he was
precisely historical, in regard to Presi-
dent Lincoln's visit to Richmond at
the surrender, and an alleged inter-
view en- route with Duff Green. The
greater part Of tho story turned out to
be fiction. One day an old officer came
rushing in, and, in an excited tone. ex-
claimed:
Have you said l was not in the
second battle of Bull Runp'
mo, not exactly that / said.
wei, Bob Scott, l was told you
said so, and l came in here to put day
light through you if you stuck to it.
80, no. l replied, laughing, 4
never said you were not in that battle.
What ! said was that you yourself, in
an official report dated the day of the
battle, had said that you were in the
Cumberland Valley, one hundred miles
from Centerville and Bull Rum
'His eyes looked dizzy and his face
was a most amusing picture of con-
s~ternation. What l said was true. l
tapped a bell, called a clerk, who
brought the officers official report, and
there in his own hand writing, over his
signature, in black and white, was his
own word that he was not at Bull Run.
He read the report through twice in
silence so solid you could slice it.
Then he took his hat, and, without a
word, arose and left the building.
"a prominent officer of my ac-
%quaintance has described often in my
hearing, with great minuteness, the
battle of the Monitor and the Mer-
rimac. He told the story as an eye
witness, described his field-glass and
the point of observation. l paid no at
tention to the matter until l heard the
bulC IOlu IWlCc. lucH L DcCtIlC CuTl-
GUS, and hunted up the official reports
made by this officer. found that il
he saw the Monitor and Merrimac in
that battle his fi~eld-glass was a most
powerful one. He never saw the Mon.
itor and Merrimac fight, but was a,
Falls Church the day Of the battle, il
his own reports are to be believed
There is a good deal Of fiction in oul
war stories.
"The greatest number Of inquiries
about war history" said Colonel
Scott, "come from the South. Tho
~confederates fought well, and, in tho
absence of a good deal else to give
them satisfaction, take great pleasure
in their fighting. Nearly all the promi-
nent Confederate officers have visited
this old building, and hardly q day pass
es that we do not receive half a dozen
letters from Southerners asking for in
formation. ~ Washington Cor. NJ Y
Sun.